ITV boss tells Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley: Get off sofa and work harder

NEW ITV stars Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley were today warned that they must "work much harder" by the channel's boss, Adam Crozier.

The presenters recently defected from the BBC, leaving behind the comfort of The One Show sofa for the millions offered by ITV.

Chiles signed a £6 million contract shortly before Bleakley, 31, joined in a £2 million deal, which will see them host new breakfast show, Daybreak.

Chief executive Crozier, battling to get the finances of the X Factor broadcaster back on track, today dismissed suggestions that ITV was spending too much on big-name signings. "We are a talent-driven organisation. In terms of value, previously you might have signed someone for one show. Now we are looking at how someone can work across more than one programme."

Crozier praised Chiles for a "fantastic" World Cup. "He will present other football programmes for ITV and Daybreak from September. Christine Bleakley will present Daybreak but also light entertainment in peak time. The expectation is when you work for ITV there will be more than one presenting opportunity. It's about asking our talent to work much harder." The ITV boss said the decision to sign Chiles, Bleakley and Jonathan Ross in recent months showed ITV was recruiting new talent and promised more big-name signings. "I am sure there will be others," said Crozier.

He added that he wanted ITV's Daybreak, which replaces the GMTV slot from next month, to "get it back to the number one breakfast show". He declined to discuss the status of any contract negotiations with X Factor and Britain's Got Talent star Simon Cowell. Crozier said: "The deal for this year has obviously been struck. We're already filming X Factor."

ITV today unveiled its first move into pay-TV by putting three new HD channels behind Sky's paywall.

High-definition versions of ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 will only be available to cable and satellite subscribers of Sky and other pay-TV platforms from the autumn. But "standard-definition" versions of ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 will remain free on platforms such as Freeview. Crozier ruled out making ITV1 a pay channel.

The ITV boss, who was unveiling a new five-year "transformation" plan, also promised viewers that ITV would focus on "fabulous drama and great light entertainment" such as X Factor, Poirot and Lewis. Crozier was announcing ITV had swung to a pre-tax profit of £97 million in the first six months of this year from a £105 million loss a year earlier.